Forrest Gump

 

Ok. 

"Forrest Gump" is a film from ~30 years ago, that starred Tom Hanks.  It was a wildly successful film.  Audiences LOVED this film and found it utterly delightful in so many regards.  It also was somewhat of a breakout film for Hanks because while he had done a lot of good work, this film firmly entrenched him into the echelon of actors who are the "big draws" at the box office.  

However, I actually did NOT like this film.  To me, the film was very "cliche-ic" and I felt that it was rather "maudlin" and felt that Tom Hanks, IMO was greatly OVERACTING in this role to the point where Gump was a caricature. His diction felt quite contrived, and his "southern" accent was gratingly overboard.   To me, nothing felt honest or real about the film, and I sort of equated it as being akin to taking the very WORST Hallmark television movie and multiplying it by a factor of 100.  I am also not really that comfortable with Hank's portrayal of a person who may be somewhat mentally "slow".  That portrayal seemed very "actory" and not real.  

So....

Why the hell am I bringing up a 30 year old movie, especially one that I do not really enjoy? 

Well, lots and lots of folks who saw this film in the theater DO look back upon it fondly.  At the track where I run in the morning (yes, I ran 10 miles this morning (~16 km)).... I have become a bit of a curiosity of sorts by many.   And since January there has been a large number of "newcomers" to the track at the early morning period I typically run.  A lot of new folks started coming in January (presumably as part of New Year's Resolutions).  At this indoor track, the VAST majority of folks who are there at 6:00am are WALKERS usually walking one or two miles.  I am the only one who RUNS most of the time.  There are two other runners who come..... but they are quite sporadic in coming at that early time of the day..... they each show up perhaps about two or three times a month and are significantly younger than me.  Adding to the overall curiosity I suspect, IS that I am definetly in the oldest 20% of folks who are at the track.  I think my being an older fellow who is very grey headed and bearded and is also running…. is a part of why they are curious as well. 

But, as I am there so very consistently, I have grown to be enough of a curiosity by some, that I get a nickname…  one fellow, probably in his early 80s calls me "Speedy Gonzales"  while I am running...... in reference to the Warner Brother's cartoon mouse.  But, the curiosity is especially pronounced in the locker room after I am finished with my many loops.  Numerous folks have told me I remind them of "Forrest Gump" because they LIKE this movie and remember the scenes where Gump ended up running across America (for some sort of charity if I recall correctly).  Then they ask me what I "did".  Many of the folks at that time of day are retired, and they presume I am as well.  I tell them I am a professor at the U, and this often makes them even more curious.  They ask me what I teach, and when I tell them my field, they find it very curious and interesting.  

So, overall it is very nice getting approached by folks who want to talk and share their thoughts with me.  It makes running at the track more interesting when I know folks a bit more.  So, even though I really do not like the Forrest Gump characterization, I take it with a grain of salt, because I know the folks are meaning well, and if they are bringing it up, they likely remember the movie fondly.   

While GOOD, the sudden, abrupt end to jury duty caught me a bit off guard.  With jury duty finished, I now have little hope of getting to visit the cigar shop "old fellows" group on Thursday's at noon..... probably not until sometime perhaps in May.  I had hoped to sneak in a visit to talk with the fellow from Mass and his buddies to see if I would "fit in" as "member of the fraternity" too (and of course, smoke a cigar).  It would be nice to have that sort of camaraderie and friendship again.

But, with hoped for "membership" in the cigar group off the table for at least a while... my mind easily wandered back into my true passion of pipe smoking. While my wife, her sister (my SIL) and my wife's sister's husband (my BIL) were taking brief breaks from our card game on Sunday...to watch small parts of the Super Bowl (usually 10 minutes or so each time), because I very truthfully have absolutely no interest in football, while I was sitting on the couch pretend watching with them, I would drift into my imagination remembering a medley of powerful and meaningful bowls of pipe tobacco I have had the pleasure of having over the decades.  

PipeTobacco